NAME YOUR FAVORITE U.S. BATTLEWAGON!

[Tenboremag]

USS Oregon BB-3

 

[tbirdismypride]

I will add the USS North Carolina. She is now a floating museum in Wilimington NC where I am from and I have been aboard her dozens of times.

[ejdiii]

ACR-3 USS Brooklyn designed along french lines, her eloquence of design, with her protrtuding side sgun sponsoons poised along her wasp waiste like ttumble home sides, with three 100 foot trim stacks, sparse decks and dramatic ram, At over 21 knots she ws the gazelle of the US Navy in 1898. the Brooklyn was the epitomy of feminine grace and beauty and masculine muscle and might. IN any photo of the Brooklyn, even when she is at anchor, she seems to be in motion, the gray hound of the open seas captured the publics imagination, people knew the name of the as flagship of Admiral Schley's "Flying Squadron".. Check out my tribute 4 minute slide show to this one of a kind "Femme fatale of the open seas" on YOUTUBE, just search for USS Brooklyn by ejdiii333.

[Cobrahistorian]

USS South Dakota BB-57

 

 

I'll second that! Ever since seeing the phenomenal painting of her in action (I think the original is at the Annapolis museum) I've loved the South Dakota. I first saw it in "Life's Picture History of WWII". That book was my favorite story book growing up and I always turned right to the SD!

 

Jon

[m1ashooter]

I love all war ships and if I'm traveling, I'll always stop and visit one. My special ship is the USS Texas, she provided gun fire support for my uncle on Iwo, so once a year I visit her and thank her. Its a shame so many of these great ships have gone. I was very happy when the New Jersey came home to her home state.

[ken]

As a kid growing up during WWII I was always fascinated with the USS Missouri. I saw her moored in the state of Washington and as I stood on the dock and looked up at her bow I thought it was the most beautiful ship I ever saw. I have been aboard her many times since. The other favorite was the USS New York. I saw a photo of her (I think it was the New York) that hung in Teddy Roosevelt's office. It shows her bow first plowing through heavy seas pushing a mountain of water before her. As a result I almost joined the Navy but the Marines had a more beautiful uniform!

[River Rat 1]

Here is a old post card got it and a lot of other stuff from my Dad this is my Grandfather's Ship the USS New Mexico he was also on the USS West Virgina.

Here is a cool photo also of the USS New Mexico what sailors do for a photo.

[Robswashashore]

BB59 USS Massachusetts:

 

As my family members were all in the AAF or the Army, I never knew much about the Navy. I became interested in the Massachusetts when I spent a night aboard her with our son's Cub Scout Den several years ago and have been back many times. Somehow I always find something fascinating...

[Sgt. Boghots]

. . . I always liked the fact that she went down "with her boots on" . . . . .

 

Hard to not envy that, Dan !! :thumbsup: I'd like that epitaph myself !! - We in Oregon feel much the same way about the USS OREGON. In fact, the captain's stateroom desk from the Oregon is about 90 miles from my house . . .

 

My own heavily biased vote for favorite favorite battlewagon is for BB-62, the USS NEW JERSEY. I served in the BB-62 Navigatition Department ( a QM ) off of Beirut, Lebanon, and left the "Big J" at Rota Spain, after withdrawl of the "Peace Keeping Force" from Beirut in the spring of '84.

 

Here's a shot of some morning P.T. a few miles off of downtown Beirut:

 

 

 

[Sgt. Boghots]

If you read down this list of Chief Petty Officer's K.I.A. and in training, you'll see a picture of ENCS Mike Gorchinski. He was killed in the suicide bombing of the barracks in Beirut a few weeks before my this next picture. One heck of a marksman, I had the pleasure of getting a good beating from him in the 1974 Pacific Fleet shoot at Camp Elliott (NAS MIRAMAR) in 1974, when he was a PO2c. - He went on to Camp Perry after that.

 

http://www.goatlocker.org/resources/cpo/lineofduty.htm

 

We cruised in a "box" area off Beirut, maintaining about 8 knots most of the time. Our primary operating area was from about 5 miles north of downtown, to 10 miles south; which extended well past Beirut International Airport. - This deviateted as necessary.

 

And here's a shot looking south toward Israel, with the guns pointed toward downtown Beirut:

 

[Sgt. Boghots]

And here's some of the guys from "town" (Beirut) coming out to visit one morning. We're about 3 miles off of the city, opposite the Hilton Hotel near the Ferris Wheel.

 

Note the First Sergeant of the BB-62 Marine Detachment wearing camo in the foreground.

 

[Sgt. Boghots]

Our eyes and ears for firing missions during Beirut were largely Army, Navy, USMC Special Operations types. Here you will notice our morning visitor, an officer type, is wearing a SEAL trident. He came aboard for a while, then went back to "town".

 

 

 

Paul

[Sgt. Boghots]

Get rid of those unsightly 20mm & 40mm gun tubs, and you can do this too ! Here's how we took on helo's on the "Big J" off of Beirut; new troops from Cyprus, or bigwigs from Israel, Beirut, or the USS J.F.K. :

 

 

Paul

[Sgt. Boghots]

USS NEW JERSEY from the USS JOHN F KENNEDY off of Beirut. - Not my picture, but from a website. - The JFK conducted air-ops further offshore from us, toward Cyprus, but on occasion we would meet up.

 

I'm not visible in the picture - probably seasick below decks, or begging for extra chow . . .

 

 

Paul

[Sgt. Boghots]

P.S. - for you tin-can types, please take note of the KNOX CLASS (1052) Frigate in the backrgound. - I can't tell you which one it is, BUT, I can tell you that I served under Captain Richard D. Milligan on both the Knox class DE-1062 (Whipple) and the BB-62 (New Jersey). - Though these two stints were ten years apart, and Milligan was a LCDR & CDR on the Whipple, he was a consumate leader of men. - He retired a RADM. We've had contact over the years, and if my son remembers nothing else about his dad other that he served and learned under Dick Milligan, I'll die a happy man . . .

 

Paul

[Sgt. Boghots]

After NEW JERSEY BB-62 covered with her guns the withdrawl of French multi national forces from Beirut in the spring of '84, we joined up with USS CAMDEN, and headed west through the Med. We were invited by the French for a Port-of-call at Villefranche, between Monaco & Nice. - A good time was had by all, though it was tempered by the loss of Mike Gorchinski in Beirut, and of SH3 Bob Littlefield in Naples.

 

The loss of Bob Littlefield in Naples on our return from Beirut was initially regarded as an AWOL, and later as an unsolved mystery. Littlefield was by all accounts a good sailor, a petty officer, and not one prone to just "disappearing" by any means. At that time in Europe, there were militant organizations bent on dealing the U.S. a hurt. Not withstanding the fact that the Port of Naples was for centuries a rough place, period. I had occasion to speak personally with Littlefield's fiance and mother after returning from Beirut and Naples, along with speaking with some of his shipmates from his division on the New Jersey. There is little doubt in my mind that he met with, and was the victim of foul play. No one or organization has to the best of my knowledge ever taken responsinility for his disappearance - A good man, God Rest His Soul, and please comfort his loved ones in the light of his loss.

 

Here's myself, aka Sgt. Boghots, wearing the insignia of a RM3, though cross-rating to QM3, going on liberty in

Villefranche, France, in the spring of 1984 :

 

 

 

 

Paul

[Sgt. Boghots]

The campaign ribbons and decorations awarded to the USS NEW JERSEY, BB-62. ( A few of which I am very proud to have received as a BB-62 crewman, but only a just a few )

 

 

A popular TV commercial at the time used to say, ". . . how do you spell relief ?" and we said: "I-O-W-A" . Meaning USS IOWA, BB-61, who thanks to President Reagan's 1,000 ship Navy concept, took our place after we left Beirut . . .

 

All the best,

Paul

[River Rat 1]

Nice photo's I was on the the USS Mauna Kea AE-22 and the USS Proteus AS-19 about the time you were on the USS New Jersey but in the Pacific.I am another that misses President Reagan's 600 ship Navy that's now a 300 ship Navy and halve the bases closed down properly do to I got high year tenured and forced to retire early and slowed down promotions.Had a friend in Special Boat Unit IX we use to call the chameleon he was in OP4 the acting enemy in war games that was on the USS New Jersey about the time you were he told us they ask for volunteers to help dig out the Marines after the suicide bombing of the Marine Corps Barracks and said he volunteered all ways wondered if he was telling the truth on that one.

[TLeo]

I will add the USS North Carolina. She is now a floating museum in Wilimington NC where I am from and I have been aboard her dozens of times.

 

 

I second that...the USS North Carolina. She was in every major campaign of the war I and earned 15 battle stars. One incident always amuses me. In one of her first actions (eastern solomons I think) screening the carriers during an air attack, she put up so much anti-aircraft fire that all the smoke and flame caused one of the other ships nearby to signal her and ask if she was on fire.

[Sgt. Boghots]

. . . he told us they ask for volunteers to help dig out the Marines after the suicide bombing of the Marine Corps Barracks and said he volunteered all ways wondered if he was telling the truth on that one.

 

 

True story on that one.

 

Paul

[Camp_Kearny]

I don't know if it my favorite capital ship, but I have always thought it was strange that the USS San Diego (ACR-6) gets little mention. Formerly the USS California, the USS San Diego was the largest warship sunk during WWI. Here in San Diego, we have a memorial to the USS San Diego (CL-53) but not to USS San Diego (ACR-6). I suppose WWI will never get the recognition that WWII has.

[101CH47]

I will have to stick with BB-60 USS Alabama.

 

USS Alabama in Casco Bay, Maine, during shakedown, circa Dec. 1942

[48MMS]

Interesting thread. Mine is the U.S.S. Pennsylvania, being the first battleship model I built many years ago.

[RustyCanteen]

Not that I have a "favorite",

 

The early 1900's had some neat ones.

[doyler]

Im a little partial to the USS Iowa